Come Sunday, the Crowne Plaza Hotel will be bursting with color. Vibrant floral arrangements and elaborate place settings will transform dining tables into works of art—a setting more than appropriate to host the multi-course dinner prepared by nationally and regionally recognized chefs. The ninth annual Dining by Design event benefits The Sister Dulce Foundation of the Cypress Springs Mercedarian Prayer Center, which serves the sick and dying.
Chef John Folse originally brought the fundraising idea to Sister Dulce Maria in 2008, and hosted the first installation at his White Oak Plantation with around 300 attendees, Cypress Springs Special Events Director Debi Grymes says. The dinner now has 750 guests annually.
The gourmet dining event combines 10 chefs’ culinary prowess with stunning displays from local florists and designers for a visually immersive dining experience. The tablescapes feature everything from striking large-scale decor to eye-catching centerpieces, and the event is as much about artistic beauty as it is food. In the past, designers have even brought live parakeets and cages of butterflies.
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“It’s just unbelievable. That room transforms … it’s absolutely beautiful,” Grymes says.
This year’s Dining by Design theme is Keeping Christ in Christmas. Tables will be decorated accordingly, and the menu will likely reflect elements of the table design. Each chef plans his or her table’s menu, therefore all the food is different.
The event features six national chefs and four Louisiana chefs, such as Chris Motto of Mansurs On the Boulevard, Peter Sclafani of Ruffino’s and Dondi McNulty of The Little Village. Most of the chefs return to participate in the event each year after meeting Sister Dulce and seeing the work her organization does, Grymes says.
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The event will be accompanied by a silent auction with more than 230 items.
Dining by Design will be preceded by Chillin’ & Grillin’ Aug. 19, an event hosted by Chef John Folse at White Oak Plantation with a Cajun menu and a chance to meet the chefs and designers featured in Dining by Design. Tickets are $50 and can be reserved by calling 752-8480.
The reception will begin at 4 p.m. Aug. 20, and dinner will be served at 5:15 p.m. Table prices are $1,000 per seat for gold tables, $500 for silver and $250 for bronze. Purchase your seat here.